WTFM founder Kim Bum-ju poses during an interview with The Korea Times at The Shilla Seoul on Thursday. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

By Chyung Eun-ju

A crew of artful painters has been brightening Seoul with giant works of art. The vivid paintings appear as multistory murals on the sides of hotel buildings and in subway stations. This revolutionary art is the work of Korean and foreign artists under the watchful eye of up-and-coming art collector Kim Bum-ju.

"There's something beautiful about this kind of street art; random graffiti on the wall can really become a great painting that vitalizes the regional environment," Kim said in an interview with The Korea Times at The Shilla Seoul.

Kim, 32, works at transforming urban landscapes into artists' playgrounds that could potentially reshape how people imagine.

Kim hosted the opening party "PAPERCUT : in collaboration with POW! WOW! KOREA" on Sept. 25 at Backroom, Hannam. / Courtesy of WTFM

"So many answers are so fixed in Korea," he said. "We are trying to make a more creative environment for the future generation so that they don't just do what they are taught."

Kim and his team collaborated with the clothing brand bySeries. / Courtesy of WTFM

"People draw or think what they see or hear. The more you hear and see, the more you can broaden your world of creativity."

Kim aspires to be the key bridging Korean and global artists. He founded his agency, What the Fun Man (WTFM), on Nov. 2016 and has already organized seven exhibitions while managing three artists and collaborating with four.

WTFM collaborated with several trendy brands, including New Balance and bySeries, in remaking designs with bold graphics.

"Current trends on living products are influenced by street art these days, which creates more exposure to make a creative environment," Kim said.

His exhibitions and street murals have attracted the attention of several organizations, including Seoul Metro, and city officials. And a project is already in the works to spruce up Itaewon streets with a mix of graffiti and fine art.

Kim has directed a project called Y-Valley ― in collaboration with Seoul Metro and sponsored by Korea Mecenat Association and Byucksan Enterprise ― at Samgakji Station that displays a harmony between graffiti and fine art.

It features the delicate pieces of Min Kim, showcasing musical notes in a geometrically organized format, and PenKing's unique graphic characters, making for a visual feast.

Street art produced through the Y-Valley project at Samgakji Station. / Courtesy of WTFM

"Korea is still underdeveloped in terms of art and culture, which makes it difficult for artists to freely express themselves," Kim said. "Korean artists still have to be conscious of what other people will think.

"I want to change the way art should be perceived or expressed in Korea. Art should be liberal and pure."

Kim, raised in an artistic family, has been passionate about art since grade school. While studying at King's College in London, he admired anonymous street artist Banksy and Korean media artist Baik Nam June.

Kim's drive to showcase unique artworks and redefine the art industry comes from his desire to "fix the things that I did not like when I was young."

Painting of a woman dressed in Hanbok in a mural in Sookmyung Women's Unversity Station by Royyal Dog. / Courtesy of POW! WOW! KOREA

His motivation dates to when he was studying at King's College, where he felt Korean traditional art was not properly recognized compared to Chinese or Japanese art.

"I wanted to work towards showing Korean art to the world," Kim said.

While walking along the River Thames in London's Waterloo district, he saw controversial street art that inspired him to bring street and contemporary art together.

After graduating university, Kim entered the corporate world but left after three years. He had always wanted to start his own business.

"After quitting, I was in an unstable way," Kim said. "I did not know what to do, but art comforted me."

After going to several art exhibitions on a trip back to London, and seeing the transformation of a ghetto area in Los Angeles into an art district full of murals, he returned to Korea to start WTFM.

He also operates a space for local artists called Backroom in Hannam. Its various artworks are not the kind of paintings exhibited in galleries around Korea.

Kim has a keen eye for unique, contemporary art. His exhibition "Why Not" showcased limited-edition sneakers of the 1980s to 2010s, such as Nike Air Force 1 and Jordan 1, with large graffiti paintings by PenKing. Exhibition visitors were encouraged to paint on the works, unlike galleries that prohibit touching artworks.

"Fun is the key value in life," Kim said. "People who have fun just learn even without being taught. We hope to spread the fun through the artworks we showcase."